


When the Clouds Fade

by Galactic_Entropy



Series: Into the Beast's Belly [1]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Abuse, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Anxiety, Blood, Blood and Gore, Bullying, Edan is inspired by Clan Techie, Family dispute, I'm going to hell for writing this, Kylux - Freeform, M/M, Medieval AU, Panic Attack, Sadism, Self-Harm, Sexism, Slight crossover with game of thrones, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Torture, Violence, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-06-09
Packaged: 2018-06-08 12:43:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6855136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galactic_Entropy/pseuds/Galactic_Entropy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Little Ben is of the North and his town has just been raided by the growing empire's troops.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kissed by the Cold

**Author's Note:**

> Please be bear with me. There will be Kylux in the next or chapter after and I try to keep my chapters somewhat short. Excuse any bad English, I am usually typing this when I'm half asleep. 
> 
> I really do not want to be responsible for scarring anybody or causing triggers, so if any of the tags trigger or make you uncomfortable please do not read. 
> 
> Some characters are original, some are from Star Wars. The only GoT character is Ghost. 
> 
> Also, if you have not watched game of thrones, you're not missing out on anything when reading this fic, I myself only watched until season 3.  
> **Valis did steal a GoT line at the very end**
> 
> My tumblr is: jotunheimrpluski.tumblr.com  
> I'd be happy to talk to you! I will also be posting some art to go with this. Currently working on a tiny Ben and Ghost the big floofy white dire wolf.

It was nearly winter--No it was almost always winter in the north and he could feel the piercing coldness seep through his veins, captivating every inch of flesh and bone. The rope around his wrists was tight enough to slice through the porcelain skin of his wrists whose delicacy matched that of a fairy's wings. His tear drenched bloodied and bruised cheeks stung against the oncoming gusts of wind.

_Ben was twelve_

_Ben was weak_

The mere warmth in his vicinity emerged from the blazing wooden cabins his townspeople called home.

***

"Brendol this is last time you're betting on street rats!" The king rasped, falling into a fit of coughing as his face reddened and breathing became a burden.

The young prince just watched and retained his usual cold expression with a subtle judgmental sneer. Servants rushed to brace their king, while the old advisor Snoke appeared behind the prince's seat.

"Best not to disobey your father in his current condition, young prince."

"Perhaps you could tell my father not to concern himself with my petty personal decisions." He hissed.

"You are aware that you are jeopardizing parts of the growing empire's budget?"

"Since when are you the master of coin? If me losing ten gold pieces upsets you then you ought to be tearing your nonexistent locks out when my father requests useless pricey accessories for his whores." Hux whispered, finding amusement in Snoke's anger. How the frail old advisor felt the need to kiss the king's boots in every instance. As if the king needed protection against his smart mouthed teenage son. As much as prince Hux despised him, the old man had a way of seducing others into buying into his decisions and which was exactly what an ideal politician must to know how to do.

The large audience of the tourney was far too loud for any of the royal family disputes to leak into the ears of gossipy nobles whose seats were close to the king's balcony. More often than not however, the familial affairs of royalty were the talk of the day, be it among nobles, serfs, and commoners.

***

"Tell Lord Valis to pull out his men, our work here is done." The commander murmured to her subordinate, giving the burning town one last glance before turning her horse. "And tell him not to toy with the prisoners. They better be sane enough to talk."

Phasma galloped away, a group of hundred battle weary men marching behind.

"Commander Phasma and her men left for base camp. She wants you and the prisoners there by tomorrow, sir."

"Don't be ridiculous Mitaka. It has already started to snow."

"Sir, this is the north. It snows for nearly half the yea-"

"Shh, keep your unsolicited advice to yourself." Valis glanced down at the tied prisoners. His condescending glower, doused in arrogance and confidence, examined the captive crowd in attempt to fish out the useless. An elderly woman and baby tied to the chest of its mother instantly met the blade. It was as if a beast had torn out the heart of the man, and replaced it with the very snow beneath his feet. "None of them will survive night--we ought to wait until sunrise." He paused, locking eyes with a boy whose hair stood out like a beacon of blackness against the whitened grounds. The child stared back with a gaze that seared Valis's pupils.

"Soldiers! You may rest. We will get on the path at dawn."

Men wrestled the malevolent northern winds to ignite substantial fires and erect tents for the evening that some spent shivering in their armor and others gorging themselves with drinks to keep warm.

Ben was a child of the north, accustomed to the gnawing cold, yet winter took no prisoners. Only lives. The merciless winds had the circle of captives shivering whilst they attempted to sleep. He was the youngest of them and now the loudest, thrashing in his sleep. Ben hated the night. He hated sleeping for that matter. In the real world he could fight, in his dreams, his kicking and screaming was futile.

_'Rey do you hear that?'_

_'Yesss! It's father! He's back from the hunt!!' She screeched with excitement, running out the door to greet the men on horses._

_Only none of them were Rey's father and Rey never made it back to the house. Ben stayed inside with Ghost, embraced in the wolf's warmth near the fireplace. He awakened with a gasp, suddenly feeling too warm. Beastly flames crackled and roared, swallowing Ben whole. Inside the monster's pitch black gut, Ben was knee deep in what smelled sharply metallic and felt slick to the touch...._

Another kick in the side and he sat upright, his heart pounding so rapidly it could jump out of his mouth. His chest tightened, as breathing nearly ceased with the blow to his diaphragm. The sharp pain in his side lingered until Valis clutched a handful of tangled raven hair, pulling it back to meet Ben's gaze. The sudden movement had his heart racing again, and adrenaline numbed his bodily pain. The rest of the prisoners and soldiers were nowhere to be seen, yet a small glow in the corner of his eye implied that he was still near the camp. _"Never let your enemy gain the satisfaction of seeing you break with their words."_ His mother had said.

For the moment, Ben could only discern the hot foul stench of liquor against his face. He wanted to gag. To kick and break the man's nose and run.

"Ye like cock to shut you up, boy?!" His grip at the black curls tightened, sneering.

Ben felt his body freeze and shake in place, tears involuntarily streaming down his face. He clenched his trembling jaw in attempt to gain control. He wanted nothing more than to be home now, the home he had so strongly detested and avoided whenever Han came. He longed for sitting by the fire with Ghost, watching his mother tell Rey stories -- even listening to his father complain and scold him about petty things after two pints of ale.

"You're too soft, Ben. You cannot just curl into a ball like a kicked dog let the others beat you to a pulp--perhaps just sit home and help the nanny take care of Rey or shovel shit in the pigsty!"

"Father I'm no-"

"Silence! Don’t waste Master Luke's or my time. Look at you, already a crying mess!"

_Ben was emotional_

_Ben was weak_

The first and last time Ben fought back was a week after he had healed from the injuries inflicted upon him by uncle Luke's older trainees. He later snuck up on one of the boys in the woods by the river and broke his nose under his boot as he threatened to announce his broken oath of celibacy.

Ben felt powerful. Ben's father was not proud of his son, nor spoke to him for a long while and Ben had stopped attending his lessons with Master Luke. He was a shame to his family and everyone save for his mother and little Rey had convinced him so. They said he was possessed by demons, believing that that also provided an explanation for the color of his hair. Ben shut them out, often running into the woods with Ghost after finishing his chores.

He always stared at the reflection of an expressive face by the near frozen river, and wiped his wet cheeks reminded him of weakness. So angrily would the boy lash out at that reflection in attempt to annihilate it.

On some of those nights, Ben's mother would find him, kneel, and cup her son's face in her work weary hands as she caressed the marks peppering his face with her thumbs. She would tell him they resembled the very constellations above them and point up when the skies were clear. Often times the tears of his mother made him regret digging his nails in what she called constellations and an art of the gods--that didn't stop him.

He spoke little and remained silent even when beaten for the tenth time by the trainees. They laughed. They laughed. And laughed. Almost maniacally.

"Demons fucked your head so hard you can't feel pain anymore?"

Ghost bit and nearly castrated that boy whom Ben never saw again.

"Look at all these hungry hounds." Valis threw a piece of bread in front of the line of ten tied up prisoners, expecting to be entertained by them tearing each other apart for food. Only they didn't and split it among one another, despite the nearly nonexistent amount. Ben ate his portion within the blink of an eye and was now offered a bowl hot liquid that resembled a thin murky soup. He drank up and instantly gagged, purging the foul offering of a dinner and acid that left a dull burning sensation in his throat.

"Never seen a boy drink horse piss that fast!" Valis cackled, looking over at Mitaka and the rest of his men expecting laughter. They just stared at him. Mitaka somehow appeared more disgusted than Ben himself for a moment. Fortunately the armor was thick enough to hide his shuddering body.


	2. Into the Icy Inferno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben is on his own in a snowy hell and sass Prince Hux is desperately trying to get politics and military strategy to dance to his songs.

Ben's legs are giving out. They've been marching since dawn and it is impossible to get a hint of the time of day. The sky's unchanging grey bores into his mind as he stares up to distract himself from the length of the trail.

He imagines what it would be like when they arrive at the castle dungeons. He had never seen any sort of prison for that matter and could only imagine from what he had heard in stories: full of hungry rats, fleas that drive inmates insane, making them want to tear their hear out, and the putrid odor of urine and feces that nobody wants to sweep.  
Perhaps this would be the last glimpse of sky he would get until then, and so he keeps his gaze sewn to it.

He wonders if he could run free if he pretends he is unable to walk and they would slice his hands off like they did to the man in front of him. Except he was first brutalized or 'set an example' as Valis called it. Stupid, stupid idea. No asking to get arms cut off.

Mitaka hollers at the line of prisoners and infantrymen for safety measure due to the upcoming path of slippery frozen grounds. The steep precipice and path could collapse at any moment with the deep cracking growls.

Ben's heart sinks; the ground below him is entirely white and far from his feet, blinding his depth perception. With one hand he clings to a dry root that protrudes from the crag. He cries out, feeling the skin of his palms being slowly torn against the prickly root as the body of an unconscious captive who had hit his head against the ice weighs him down by the rope. The soldier that peers down at him pulls out a knife to cut the rope loose so they can get back on their merry way. A few moments ago, Ben heard Mitaka chatter to Valis about pulling them back up, but that is of no importance now.

The rope snaps and Ben buried in powdery plush snow up to his forehead. His breath hitches as he attempts to recognize his surroundings and palms are numb, bleeding much like the forehead of the man whose body he stands on. Ben tries to step off, though he's still buried and the thick rope binds their hands together. His body is uncontrollably shaking again when he kneels to check the other man's vital signs. There's no need to, and he finds that out when his knee presses against the mush of what was once ribs and a beating heart. The worst thing was that this man was no stranger, but mister Weldon, the baker who greeted him every morning and gave him the freshest of loaves--perhaps because of his respectable mother. That doesn't matter, because he is dead now.

Ben wants to scream until his vocal cords give out, but he can barely breath. His sobs are silent as he scoops out snow to cover Weldon's face with so he wouldn't see it anymore until he has the energy to climb out of this icy grave. Sitting on the body devours him with guilt like the beast in his dreams, and standing twists his empty gut. This is slowly tearing his sanity away from him. The shaking won't stop and neither will his urge to gag. Ben's dizziness and blurred vision send him back into the ditch when his hand slips after he makes it near the top. He hears the snow crunch under him and acid burns his throat. He sits. He sobs.

 _B_ _en's mind was lost_  
Ben's body is now lost  
Ben's body is made of stars  
He can't see the stars because there are clouds  
The constellations have disappeared  
The clouds want to kill him  
Ben is lost

He is functioning on sheer adrenaline and his legs are not about to stop anytime soon. His boots, now heavy, are entirely wet from snow; he keeps running, mind solely focused on the mere primal response he can muster to define: fear-- though he wants to believe that he has at least lost the enemy forever in these woods.

In every direction he looks are the same slender bare trees dressed in white. They're here for his funeral with frozen tears that point down, ready to impale anything that dares sleep under them for too long.

 _Ben is lost, but he will not let winter take his life. The thing he sometimes wishes never happened. The thing others have made miserable for him and he for them.The last thing he owns. He takes pride in having made it this far, but also h_ _ates himself for letting them get what they want: seeing his weakness._  
The stars are alive  
Ben is alive

 

\-----

 

"I see the invasion as completely necessary. We have secured their territory in our hands, and this war must be fought safely."

"The north would have absolutely not stood a chance against our empire. An utter waste of gold and troops, lord Valis. Perhaps you never learned over your ten years of military expertise that war is a game. A game of risk." Hux retorts.

"As I was saying, the Tyrels-" Phasma is cut off by a very indignant Valis who looks as if he'd like to smash someone's head with his bare hands. He hates that seventeen year old bratty Hux Lannister prince with passion "WE DONT-"

"Leave the room, general. The presence of uncivilized men who speak out of turn is unneeded. Commander Phasma," The young Brendol gestures toward her "continue."

"Yes, your grace." She stands, hulking over the table. "Your Tyrell uncle may not be the ideal source of assistance. He certainly will not wage a war against us for the request, although we ought not to expect any compliance either."

"Understandable, thank you commander."

He sits in his chair at the head of the table, deflated. They were short on troops, and not a single ruling house liked the Hux Lannisters. To add to the misery, foolish Valis had just lost hundreds for the stupid North. Those ridiculous snow monks wouldn't have even bothered initiating an attack, he thinks. Dare he write up a temporary armistice with without his father's knowledge?

Snoke would somehow find out with his numerous spies, making it seem as if he had ten pairs of ears and thirty eyes. How could his father allow a fucking adviser to have such power? More so than his own son?

A shame. Truly a shame. A once intimidating and powerful king, an honor to the Hux Lannister name now reduced to a mass of breathing flesh who pays too much attention to his cock with the shell of a title in his hands. He was present in celebrations, sometimes at the dinner table, and never at meetings. The young Hux wonders if Snoke has drugged and brainwashed his father, but as much control as he has over the battlefront, it is not in his place to question.

 

\-----

 

Ben creeps up closer to the cabin. A dim glow peeks out from the crevices in the wooden door. Something is cooking as the chimney hints, but Ben's stomach stopped growling a few hours ago and he is not about to make friends with people whom he wishes to steal their horse. The smaller cabin beside this one looks similar enough to a stable and the door is unlocked.

Ben's heart is pounding, as he dreads being caught in the act of stealing. He wonders if they'll treat him like Valis did, or worst. What kind of sick person could this homeowner be, he thinks--but then again who would show mercy to someone who's stealing their horse.

The door hinge is locked shut with ice and a rusty pick axe lays sadly by the door, though he could not afford to make more noise. Ben can't wait anymore; he's frustrated, hungry, and the heavy weight of the idea-- now reality surviving on his own haunts him. Inside the stable is silent at first until the horses notice him. There are three: a horse family with a foal that Ben desperately wants to eat but could never kill with by his own hands. The stable is pitch dark as he looks for a saddle along the walls.

A sound of foot steps at the door of the stable send him flying into the nearby stack of hay to get a mouthful of it after getting jump scared to trip over the rake.

"Boy, What are you doing in here?"  
  
The woman's voice is soft, laced with a scolding tone.

Ben's heart is pounding furiously and he feels as if it will pop out of his mouth any second now.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clarification:  
> -Hux is a result of Tyrel and Lannister marriage 
> 
> -if you've read Beloved by Toni Morrison and liked it, you'll understand my love for the stream of conscious passages in italics


	3. Dinner with Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're gonna just love Hux B^)

Edan had been weeping for hours, locked up in his room and no approach of his brother's resulted in the success to get him to stop. The eldest Hux stood by his door, patiently knocking again and again as he made attempts to use his voice that suddenly became ironically soothing for one with an icy demeanor. Gods knew what got to the boy this time, although it wasn't the first time he had broken down after watching a public execution: An absolute waste of time, Hux thought. A pause on farm work, metalwork, and trade just for one man, a stranger to the public to lose his head. Bringing such practices to an end remained at top of the crowned prince's 'when I become king...' to do list. 

  The large door creaked open ever so slowly as a puffy bloodshot eye peaked out. Edan held the appearance of a kicked puppy, trembling, and his long fiery hair draped messily over his face and shoulders. He slowly backed away, slumping against the wall to let his brother inside who then ever so gently closed the door. 

At times, Hux felt sorry for his brother for how weak willed and how fragile the boy was. Both brothers were at a physical disadvantage in combat with their lithe physiques, yet Edan even refused to wield a weapon to save his own life. If an arrow were to be released a few feet away from him, he would flinch and cower as if a million Dothraki were in the midst of a raid. It frightened Hux to think how violently the empire would crumble if he were killed and Edan would be forced to face his worst nightmare: having to rule. While blessed with uncanny intelligence in strategy, in the developing human civilization, full of bloodshed and barbarism the least bit of physical strength was a necessity which Edan lacked. 

 For the first time after an entire day Edan spoke: "Fath -er...l-lie-dtome..." he brushed aside the hair that covered his hollowed eye socket. "You're bleeding. Where's your eye patch?" Hux responded in a still gentle voice laced with a hint of urgency. He received a shrug in response. "I'm calling the medic. Stay here." 

 "Nonono-no. Please..." He clung to Hux's tunic. "He mustn't know anything."  

Hux snorted. "Who? The medic?"

Edan nodded and Hux acknowledged. "Indeed his words of gossip exceed their limit and I'd hate to have him killed."

"I'll be back." Hux left and Edan sank to the floor against the wall to resume his sobbing. Guilt crawled under Hux's skin, having to leave his fragile brother to shed another sea of tears in solitude. 

 

\---

 

"You have a name? I'd hate to keep calling you 'boy'." 

 Ben nodded. The woman appeared harmless;however, after his encounter with Valis, he would cease to trust anyone outside of his now destroyed town--unwelcome flashbacks. As a distraction, his mind drifted towards replaying memories of the neighbor's feline, Mylo. A cute, fat, and fluffy she was, spoiled by being fed freshly hunted meat and fatty scraps from the butcher. 

 Sudden observation: taking too long to respond. 

 "M-Ky-. My name is Kylo." Ben was a terrible liar. 

 "Odd name. Where do you come from?" 

 "Frontiers...my people hunt for a living. We- we got attacked by wild hogs in the woods and I got lost escaping." He stuttered. /Not that much of a lie is it? Valis and a hog...striking similarities./ The stale bread and soup sure best horse piss. Ben gobbled up the content of his dish, thanking the woman. The way she wore her hair reminded him of his own mother, as well as the sad look in her eyes even when she smiled. The sad look screaming failure to protect her own children. The children she began to speak of. 

 "My oldest one. I wanted to call him Edan--'little fire' for his tufts of red hair that looked like flames. I wasn't allowed, so he was given his father's name. My second I named Edan, and third Tarla. The name is of more south Easter origin, though-"

 He wished not to disrespect the woman who had just fed him, yet sleep pulled the rug of consciousness right out from under him as his eyes slowly but surely rolled back and fell shut. Ben slumped against the rug under him and fell into deep slumber within the matter of seconds. 

 Róisín felt unsure of what to do with the stranger child who had just tried to steal a horse and the next second he appeared to be spilling his heart out in tears while sleep talking. _Gods have mercy on whom is to ever meet Valis. Hells. What has he done to this child?_

 And there go all of Ben's lies. All up in smoke. 

 

\---

 

Hux slipped through the door with a bowl of clean water, strong liquor, and cloth in hand. He took a seat on the edge of the bed, turning Edan's tear and blood stained face to clean it. The younger prince soundly slept, allowing Hux to apply the liquor as antiseptic over his eye socket and rinse with clean water after without having to see any flinching or crying.

 He wrapped the cloth around his brother's head, hoping to find an eyepatch later, as a rag looked far from presentable for a prince, Hux thought. Shifting closer to Edan, he pulled the sheets up to his chin and brushed the sweat slicked long red locks out of his face; the face with a pale silvery glow under the moonlight. The face that had hardly seen the light of day since two years ago in the narrow alleyways of the lower city ring. An adventurous boy Edan was, donning peasant rags just to go play with children who would not brandish their jewels and expensive daggers but played simple games, detached of materialistic desires. Edan's naivety cost him an eye and a lifetime of trauma. 

 Hux had not acted modestly while punishing those boys. 

 

***

 

  _"My men are exceptionally trained. Like hunting dogs. That's how you're all here. I know it's two of you, even though I have before me five peasant boys. You will tell me which two unless all five wish to suffer the same fate. I know exactly which two, but as future king, I would like to test the loyalty of my subjects if I am to be generous with lowering taxes and such--and perhaps other benefits you oafs know absolutely nothing about." Hux's fiery gaze could burn holes into the frightened eyes of the boys standing before him._

  _"W-we'll do anything, your grace!!" Responded an innocent one, no older thirteen._

  _"Anything? Maybe then you'd like to hear a little story before I get to work. I'd hate to waste more time, although after my lesson with the elderly tutors I have an hour of leisure--which will be generously spent on you five."_

 " _Than-k you. We would l-love to hear." He spoke again._

  _"You don't even know what the story is about yet already getting excited?" He teased. "So. I ate my bowl of oats and berries, which came with complimentary cheese and dried meat this morning. When the serf came to pick up after me, she asked where my silver spoon was." Hux pulled it out of his pocket. "Oh here it is." He grinned._

_"I told her it was a symbolic gesture, meaning that I'd like to spend my day feeding the poor from my own pocket." The icy green glare and satanic curve of his lips  chanted murder. Hux relished seeing the physical responses of fear among the five, and harbored no sorrow for their current states of mind. One had visibly wetted his pants and the floor at his feet, and the others trembled save for the oldest who would receive his fair share of terror. The prince shed his cloak, draping it on a nearby chair after his hands were ungloved._

  _"There is no doubt you all know a boy by the name of Ed. Of course I will not reveal his full name, nor will you ever see him again after what you've done, although I'd like for you to see the things I'm willing to do for my brother."  Pleased with the way the guards had tied his victims' hands behind their backs, Hux reached up and tightly clutched the grease slicked and flea ridden hair of the one taller than himself by a whole head. "Let me guess, last bathed when a very small you slid out from between your mother's legs?"_

  _No response, just whimpers._

  _The cold silver spoon pressed harshly against the skin just under the boy's brow bone. Around the broken skin had already formed contusions as Hux took his sweet time to adore the pained facial expressions of the young man in his grip._

  _"I hope you're hungry."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I'm just so clever and think I'm cool, I didn't thoroughly describe what Hux did to the guys.  
> Have fun discussing in the comments or thinking about what actually happened. I've also been slacking off with the updating because I've had two weeks to relax until my summer college courses begin, and pulled this chapter right outa my ass while waiting around here and there.  
> I sincerely do apologize for delaying the kylux even though I promised it earlier, but the build up is.


End file.
